Head frame for structural column



Dec. 17, 1957 J. s. DONAHUE ETAL HEAD FRAME FOR STRUCTURAL COLUMN 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1954 x J F Dec. 17, 1957 J. 5. DONAHUE ETAL 2,816,435

HEAID FRAME FOR STRUCTURAL COLUMN Filed Sept. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2F195. 4 64 1/ ad i EA 2 a United States Patent Office 2,816,435 PatentedDec. 117,, 1957 HEAD FRAME FOR STRUCTURAL COLUMN John Stanley Donahue,'Chesmut Hill, Mass, and George E. Strehan, Leonia, N. J., assignors toLally Column Cu., Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of MassachusettsApplication September .20, 1954, Serial No. 456,912

Claims. (CI. 72-15) This invention relates to building columns of theconcrate-filled steel pipe type, and pertains more particularly toframes for transmitting the shear and bending movement of ;a floor orroof to the shaft of the column.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a compact andinexpensive head frame which can be'readily assembled .on a column ofthe concrete-filled :steel \pipe type, which has members extending.sidewise from the top of the column for connection to floor and roofstructures, which is sufliciently strong and rigid to transmitrelatively high bending and shear loads, and which permits mounting of asecond column on top in the usual manner. Another object of importanceis to provide a frame which, while having the necessary load carryingcapacity, is sufficiently shallow to be completely enclosed in the flooror roof structure which the column supports so as to eliminateprojections in the ceiling around the column. The frame here describedis especially suitable for embedding in floors of the reinforcedconcrete slab type which are poured in place, but may also be connectedto other conventional floor supporting structures made, for example, ofsteel or wooden beams.

The frame consists in general of a short piece of cylindrical pipe ofsmaller diameter than the casing of the column to be used, and a numberof beams projecting radially and welded to the pipe. The beams arepreferably I-beams and have their top and bottom flanges coped to clearthe outside of the column, the webs being received in slots in thecolumn. The short pipe, and adjoining portions of the webs of the beams,are all embedded in the concrete, or similar material, with which thecolumn is filled. The flanges of the beams preferably butt against theoutside of the column casing and are welded thereto.

Recommended embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, but it will be understood that the structuraldetails and arrangement of elements herein shown and described may bevaried to suit particular conditions without departing from the essenceof this invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-section of a column head on which a frameconstructed according to the invention has been installed, showing theframe embedded in a typical reinforced concrete slab floor;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken along line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the frame and column head prior to theirassembly.

As shown in the drawings, the column 10, of generally conventionalconstruction, consists of a cylindrical steel casing 11 enclosing a core12 of concrete or other plastic material of high compression strength.Around the head of the column four radial slots 13 are cut in thecasing. The four arms 14, 15, 16, and 17 of the head frame are receivedin these slots. The arms are in the form of I- beams, with their top andbottom flanges coped to leave web extensions 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a whichproject through the .slotsin thecasing. The ends of these extension buttagainst a short piece of cylindrical pipe 18, of smaller diameter thanthe column casing, and are welded to the pipe by fillet welds alongeither side, as best seen in Fig. .5. A .pair of dowels .19 and 2.0 are"setcrosswise in the lower partof the pipe.

When the frame is-assembledionthe-head of the column, pipe 18iis mountedconcentrically inside the upper part-of casing 11, the web extensionsrest in the slots 13, and the arms 14, 15, 16 and 17 extend radiallyfrom the head of .the column- The ends of the top and bottom flanges :ofthe arms, where they abut the outside of the :casing are butt welded tothe casing. Preferably. also, the webs of the beams are welded to thecasing along either side of therslots, the welds filling any'clearancespace in thesloits,

so that the continuity of the slotted region of the casing.

is substantially restored. The head frame is assembled in this manner tothe casing before the concrete core is poured, so that the pipe and "webextensions will be embedded and anchored .in the core of the finishedcolumn. The dowels 19 and 20 provide additional anchorage.

The column and frame are prefabricated and assembled together in thefactory and shipped out ready for use. This head frame lends itselfespecially well to reinforced concrete construction where the floorslab, indicated by the numeral 22 in Fig. 1, is poured in place aroundthe arms. As the latter are completely embedded in the floor slab, theceiling 23 is flat right up to the column. This type of structure hasexcellent fire resistance because of the fact that the load carryingarms are completely encased in concrete. The frame is also adapted tosteel or wood construction, the floor beams being bolted or otherwiseconnected to the top flanges or webs of the arms in any convenientmanner.

If a second column is to be mounted above the head frame, anchor bolts24 of conventional type are embedded in the core of the lower column.These bolts are disposed around the pipe 18 in the spaces between thearms, and the bent-in lower ends 25 of the bolts extend under the bottomof the pipe. It will be noted that the dowels 19 and 20 are aligned withthe arms so as to leave clear space around the pipe for insertion of theanchor bolts. A head plate 26 is attached to the upper ends of theanchor bolts, and the upper column, indicated by the dotted outline 27,is mounted on the head plate in the usual manner. The head plate isdisposed diagonally with respect to the arms and the corners of theplate overlapping the arms are bolted to their top flanges by pairs ofbolts 28.

The arms of the frame may be made from standard I-beams, or from otherbeams of generally similar section shape, such as wide flange beams, orH-beams. It is understood that the size of the beams and the length ofthe arms may be varied to suit the load conditions for which the headframe is intended. The frame is here shown as having four arms, but itis apparent that more or fewer arms may be secured to a central pipe andmounted in a similar manner.

What is claimed is:

1. A head frame and column assembly comprising: a column having a hollowcylindrical casing and a plastic core; four vertical slots disposedapart around the upper end of said casing; a tubular post of smallerdiameter than the casing embedded in the core in the upper end of thecolumn; four beams projecting radially from said casing in line withsaid slots, said beams having top and bottom flanges connected byupright webs, and the flanges being coped to leave web portionsprojecting through said slots and connected to said post; anchor boltsmounted in the column in the spaces between said web portions aroundsaid post; and a square head plate mountedon the top of the column withits corner regions overlying said beams, the head plate being connectedto said anchor bolts, and also being connected, at its corner regions,to the top flanges of the beams.

2. A head frame and column assembly comprising: a column having a hollowcasing and a plastic core; vertical slots disposed in spacedrelationship around the upper end of the casing; a hollow post enclosedin the upper end of the casing and embedded in the core; a number ofbeams projecting radially in spaced relationship from said casing, saidbeams having top and bottom flanges connected by upright webs, and theflanges being coped to leave web portions projecting through said slotsand connected to said post; anchor bolts mounted in the column in thespaces between said web portions around said post; and a head platemounted on the top of the column and having regions overlying saidbeams, the head plate being connected to said anchor bolts, and also, insaid regions, to the top flanges of the beams.

' 3. A head frame and column assembly comprising: a column having ahollow casing and a plastic core; vertical slots disposed in spacedrelationship around the upper end of the casing; a hollow post enclosedin the upper end of the casing and embedded in the core; a number ofbeams projecting radially in spaced relationship from said casing, saidbeams having upright web portions exregion of the slots being welded tothe casing by welds closing the slots.

5. A head frame and column assembly as described in claim 3, said posthaving dowels projecting radially from its lower end, the dowels beinglikewise embedded in the core.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS835,718 Thorn Nov. 13, 1906 869,869 Lally Oct. 29, 1907 969,097 FordAug. 30, 1910 1,185,207 Lally May 30, 1916 1,190,002 Picuri July 4, 19161,472,600 Lally Oct. 30, 1923 2,176,007 Heanue Oct. 10, 1939

